305 ILCS 5/5-13
To the extent permitted under the federal Social Security Act, the amount expended under this Article (1) for a person of any age who is an inpatient in a nursing facility, an intermediate care facility for persons with intellectual disabilities , or other medical institution, or (2) for a person aged 55 or more, shall be a claim against the person's estate or a claim against the estate of the person's spouse, regardless of the order of death, but no recovery may be had thereon until after the death of the surviving spouse, if any, and then only at such time when there is no surviving child who is under age 21, or blind, or is a child with a permanent total disability . This Section, however, shall not bar recovery at the death of the person of amounts of medical assistance paid to or in his behalf to which he was not entitled; provided that such recovery shall not be enforced against any real estate while it is occupied as a homestead by the surviving spouse or other dependent, if no claims by other creditors have been filed against the estate, or if such claims have been filed, they remain dormant for failure of prosecution or failure of the claimant to compel administration of the estate for the purpose of payment. The term "estate", as used in this Section, with respect to a deceased person, means all real and personal property and other assets included within the person's estate, as that term is used in the Probate Act of 1975; however, in the case of a deceased person who has received (or is entitled to receive) benefits under a long-term care insurance policy in connection with which assets or resources are disregarded to the extent that payments are made or because the deceased person received (or was entitled to receive) benefits under a long-term care insurance policy, "estate" also includes any other real and personal property and other assets in which the deceased person had any legal title or interest at the time of his or her death (to the extent of that interest), including assets conveyed to a survivor, heir, or assignee of the deceased person through joint tenancy, tenancy in common, survivorship, life estate, living trust, or other arrangement. The term "homestead", as used in this Section, means the dwelling house and contiguous real estate occupied by a surviving spouse or relative, as defined by the rules and regulations of the Illinois Department, regardless of the value of the property.
A claim arising under this Section against assets conveyed to a survivor, heir, or assignee of the deceased person through joint tenancy, tenancy in common, survivorship, life estate, living trust, or other arrangement is not effective until the claim is recorded or filed in the manner provided for a notice of lien in Section 3-10.2. The claim is subject to the same requirements and conditions to which liens on real property interests are subject under Sections 3-10.1 through 3-10.10. A claim arising under this Section attaches to interests owned or subsequently acquired by the estate of a recipient or the estate of a recipient's surviving spouse. The transfer or conveyance of any real or personal property of the estate as defined in this Section shall be subject to the fraudulent transfer conditions that apply to real property in Section 3-11 of this Code.
The provisions of this Section shall not affect the validity of claims against estates for medical assistance provided prior to January 1, 1966 to aged or blind persons or persons with disabilities receiving aid under Articles V, VII and VII-A of the 1949 Code.
305 ILCS 5/5-13